Breakaway to Western Caribbean 9/1 in Haven

[Shoppie124]

8 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

So, my TA, genuinely sorry about how this "non-cruise" turned out, sent me an email today with a 9 Day Cruise out of Copenhagen on the Getaway for about the same as I was going to spend on the Breakaway on 9/1 doing the Western Caribbean.

 

Talk about out of left field, but that's intriguing.  

 

I've sailed the Mediterranean on the MSC Meriviglia and loved it.  Copenhagen isn't even a cruise I've even thought about. 

 

This would also be in the Haven.

 

Opinions?

DO IT!!!!

[bluesea777]

2 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

So, my TA, genuinely sorry about how this "non-cruise" turned out, sent me an email today with a 9 Day Cruise out of Copenhagen on the Getaway for about the same as I was going to spend on the Breakaway on 9/1 doing the Western Caribbean.

 

Talk about out of left field, but that's intriguing.  

 

I've sailed the Mediterranean on the MSC Meriviglia and loved it.  Copenhagen isn't even a cruise I've even thought about. 

 

This would also be in the Haven.

 

Opinions?

 

Go for it! You can fly Norwegian Air (nothing to do with NCL), and spend a few days in CPH pre-cruise. It’s a fab city! 

 

Being in Haven would get you off the ship quickly in the ports of call. When’s the cruise? Perhaps you can do the TA instead of Baltic?

 

I’m in CPH at the moment on holiday visiting friends and family. And we’re having good time.

 

 

[Son of a son of a ...]

8 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

So, my TA, genuinely sorry about how this "non-cruise" turned out, sent me an email today with a 9 Day Cruise out of Copenhagen on the Getaway for about the same as I was going to spend on the Breakaway on 9/1 doing the Western Caribbean.

 

Talk about out of left field, but that's intriguing.  

 

I've sailed the Mediterranean on the MSC Meriviglia and loved it.  Copenhagen isn't even a cruise I've even thought about. 

 

This would also be in the Haven.

 

Opinions?

 

If the dog bites you once, don't let it in the house again.

[All-ready2cruise]

I agree with others, go for it!! Copenhagen is wonderful. 

[graphicguy]

Working out some flight logistics.  I got my refund for the 9/1 cruise and NCL's looking at refunding me hotel and flight change fees.

 

We'll see.  You guys are enablers, or partners in crime....I'm not quite sure which one, yet!

[All-ready2cruise]

Glad things are looking brighter for you.  If we're enablers, then maybe you should put us on the ignore list, 😉🤣

 

Guess I don't need any enablers, I just pulled the trigger on another cruise.  I sail in less than a month... phewwwww. 

 

Anyway, hope it works out for you. 

Cheers

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, bluesea777 said:

 

Go for it! You can fly Norwegian Air (nothing to do with NCL), and spend a few days in CPH pre-cruise. It’s a fab city! 

 

Being in Haven would get you off the ship quickly in the ports of call. When’s the cruise? Perhaps you can do the TA instead of Baltic?

 

I’m in CPH at the moment on holiday visiting friends and family. And we’re having good time.

 

 

So what's the weather like there right now?

[graphicguy]

So, all of you who have visited the Baltics/Russia, do I need visas?  Or, will a current passport work?

[bluesea777]

Just now, graphicguy said:

So what's the weather like there right now?

 

Well, we’re here for 18 days. The first few days (we arrived on 28th Aug) was very warm and nice, but turned cooler - mid 60’s - nice because a lot of places here do not have air conditioning, lol. 

 

But now onward is great time to travel - bring a jacket and travel and don’t sweat!

 

One kink, it sometimes rains/drizzles, but not too bad.

[graphicguy]

Just now, bluesea777 said:

 

Well, we’re here for 18 days. The first few days (we arrived on 28th Aug) was very warm and nice, but turned cooler - mid 60’s - nice because a lot of places here do not have air conditioning, lol. 

 

But now onward is great time to travel - bring a jacket and travel and don’t sweat!

 

One kink, it sometimes rains/drizzles, but not too bad.

Thanks, that'll work for me.

[bluesea777]

4 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

So, all of you who have visited the Baltics/Russia, do I need visas?  Or, will a current passport work?

 

Look up St. Petersburg tour sites online - Alla, TJ, SPB, etc, and pick the 2 day tour. They will issue visa for you. Or you can book NCL at double the price.

 

 

[bluesea777]

Are you traveling alone? If so, the best bet for you is to stay at Wakeup Copenhagen Borgergade. A modern, simple, no frills hotel in center of CPH for travelers who love to sightsee. Our son stayed there for a few days and said it was fine. It’s close to the Metro that goes directly to CPH Kastrup airport. You’ll need to take a cab to Oceankaj for the cruise. Or walk to Norreport station and catch the bus 27 to the ship.

 

Make sure to spend at least 3 or 4 days in CPH!

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

So, my TA, genuinely sorry about how this "non-cruise" turned out, sent me an email today with a 9 Day Cruise out of Copenhagen on the Getaway for about the same as I was going to spend on the Breakaway on 9/1 doing the Western Caribbean.

 

Talk about out of left field, but that's intriguing.  

 

I've sailed the Mediterranean on the MSC Meriviglia and loved it.  Copenhagen isn't even a cruise I've even thought about. 

 

This would also be in the Haven.

 

Opinions?

Get back in the saddle, Graphicguy!  Sounds like a great opportunity for NCL to redeem themselves in your eyes while seeing a part of the world you had not considered for cruising.  If the price is right, I say go for it!

[mking8288]

GG, if it feel & looks good to you and within your comfort zone, and easy on the wallet - just do it.  Why not.  

 

Otherwise, closer to home - I'm sure you see some pretty nice deals for the next 2 to 3 months.  

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, mking8288 said:

GG, if it feel & looks good to you and within your comfort zone, and easy on the wallet - just do it.  Why not.  

 

Otherwise, closer to home - I'm sure you see some pretty nice deals for the next 2 to 3 months.  

You’re right.  Deals are looking strong between now and the Holidays!

[graphicguy]

Anyone know if they have Uber in Copenhagen?  I don’t know Russian, Swedish, Finlandian (sp?), etc.  Will that be an issue?

[All-ready2cruise]

Uber is very popular in Copenhagen/Europe in general I guess.  We had a very good experience with the Uber drivers.  One from the airport to our hotel and from the hotel to the pier.  Very well priced too, though don't ask me what we paid, it's been 4 yrs. 

 

We stayed at the Admiral Hotel. It's an historical hotel near the waterfront.  Very friendly staff, nice layout but a bit querky.  In the past, was where the mariners off the ships would stay. Very good reviews and the price is quite reasonable. 

 

BTW, in Copenhagen, many, many people speak English fluently.  No idea about Russia though, since it'll be in a tourist area, English is mostly common there too. HTH

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by All-ready2cruise

[All-ready2cruise]

The speak Finnish in Finland. Danish in Copenhagen, Swedish in Sweden and English in Russia (J/K) lol

[debenson0723]

3 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Anyone know if they have Uber in Copenhagen?  I don’t know Russian, Swedish, Finlandian (sp?), etc.  Will that be an issue?

Did this cruise 2 years ago on the Getaway...one of the best ever.  There is no more Uber in CPH but the public transportation is very easy to use plus it is a very walkable city.  English spoken everywhere.  As someone else mentioned, get a 2 day SPB tour (I used TJ tours and they were excellent)...they will do all the visa paperwork for you.  You cannot just roam around SPB...you will either need a ship excursion or private tour company. I would think the weather would be cool this time of year but layers are key (I was there in May and used a denim jacket most days).  Any other questions, just ask.

[graphicguy]

Thanks for all the info everyone.  As these things go, I was trying to synch up work and flight schedules and the Haven sold out as of this a.m.  Those cabins were the "deal" of the cruise as the other cabins (Balcony and up) weren't much less expensive.

 

The old adage goes, "if you see it and want it, the right time to do it (buy it) is right then."

 

Little disappointed, but the pricing was so good it's not a surprise they sold out.

 

Thanks, again!

[All-ready2cruise]

Well darn, was afraid that might happen when I looked at the price for those cruises. 

 

Too bad you're not interested in a shorter cruise. I didn't think I was either until I saw the price for a Concierge stateroom on the Joy. The pricing is great but it's only a 5-day so I'm pretty sure it wouldn't fit your bill. 

 

Oh well, you'll find something when the timing is right. Good luck 😉

[graphicguy]

13 minutes ago, All-ready2cruise said:

Well darn, was afraid that might happen when I looked at the price for those cruises. 

 

Too bad you're not interested in a shorter cruise. I didn't think I was either until I saw the price for a Concierge stateroom on the Joy. The pricing is great but it's only a 5-day so I'm pretty sure it wouldn't fit your bill. 

 

Oh well, you'll find something when the timing is right. Good luck 😉

Thanks.  That's just one of those cruises I couldn't pull the trigger on immediately because of the long flights from here to there which would be overnight and the need to add some days to the time off I would be required to take.  

 

I'm relatively certain my company would have granted the extra time off, but I wouldn't make that assumption and booked until I had final approval (which I still don't have).  I travel a lot, as does my boss.  So, getting approval from him and getting HR on board isn't always instantaneous.  Plus, we're headed into "end of year" territory and there's always a possibility that a Sept/Oct business trip would take precedence over any time off I might want.

 

Looked like the trip of a lifetime, though.  Had never even thought of the Baltics before I saw that cruise.  Plus, I think the flight would have come in around ~$650 round trip, so that was looking good, too.

 

Just an update on the cancelled cruise refund, NCL did indeed refund the entire cruise fare, the fees, etc.  They already deposited the Cruise Next certs back into my account.

 

The "not so good news".....I used my AmEx Platinum to book.  They are no longer offering OBC when you use their card to book a cruise.  Now, they're issuing "points" for booking using their card.  It's still not clear to me what those points would be worth, but I get the feeling the OBC was the better deal.  Amex's insurance that comes with using the card isn't really worth much on the cruise, either.  They cover any out of pocket from a delayed trip, but not a cancelled trip.

 

I had additional insurance which was supposed to be comprehensive, that wouldn't cover any unreimbursed out of pocket expenses for the cancelled cruise, either.  They all point back to NCL to be the entity that needed to cover those expenses.

 

As of right now, I sent my meals, transportation and hotel expenses to NCL.  They have a form you have to submit.  I stated my case that if they would have not changed the embarkation dates and times 3X, I would not have incurred the costs I came out of pocket for.  We'll see how that turns out.

 

I have about 8 days of PTO left.  I'm stalking cruises, still.  Looking at the other cruise lines, too.

 

 

[DaCruiseBug]

17 hours ago, graphicguy said:

So, all of you who have visited the Baltics/Russia, do I need visas?  Or, will a current passport work?

 

I'm not sure if it's the same if you're there on a cruise but to actually visit Russia you do need a VISA and it's quite the process.

[DaCruiseBug]

36 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

The "not so good news".....I used my AmEx Platinum to book.  They are no longer offering OBC when you use their card to book a cruise.  Now, they're issuing "points" for booking using their card.  It's still not clear to me what those points would be worth, but I get the feeling the OBC was the better deal.  Amex's insurance that comes with using the card isn't really worth much on the cruise, either.  They cover any out of pocket from a delayed trip, but not a cancelled trip.

 

 

Amex still has the cruise privileges program that gives up to $300 OBC on NCL. If you booked thru the TA i'm thinking of "AmericanDisc....cruises" then they also still have it. I emailed them a few days ago about the points thing and they said that they still have it.

[emm126]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

The "not so good news".....I used my AmEx Platinum to book.  They are no longer offering OBC when you use their card to book a cruise.  Now, they're issuing "points" for booking using their card.  It's still not clear to me what those points would be worth, but I get the feeling the OBC was the better deal.  Amex's insurance that comes with using the card isn't really worth much on the cruise, either.  They cover any out of pocket from a delayed trip, but not a cancelled trip.

HI Graphicguy- sorry about the cruise not working out but I think you got wrong info. Amex still has the Cruise program. I am going on a cruise this weekend and have it, also have it for my November cruise I just booked so that is strange. I book my travel thru an amex office and sometimes they offer bonus points when I book as well, so maybe that is what they are talking about? Right now If I book HAL, Cunard, Princess or Seabourn I would get 5 times the points. I would double check as that is a great benefit. Have a great cruise no matter what you book!

 

Edit to add. You know what it might, Last time I used my platinum card to pay off my cruise, instead of receiving $100 credit to my card as I have received in the past, I got bonus membership rewards points. Maybe that is what she is confusing.

Edited September 10, 2019 by emm126